


We Didn't Start the Fire (...Okay, Maybe Just a Small One)

by nixster627



Series: Malex Week 2020 [1]
Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Alex is just lonely, M/M, Malex Week 2020, Michael is a firefighter, and a bad cook, meet ugly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:00:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25242031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nixster627/pseuds/nixster627
Summary: Alex would like to start by saying that it was completely an accident and it wouldn’t have happened if his dog hadn’t run into him after getting a little over excited. All he was going to do was switch out the prosthetic for his crutches and the next thing he knows, his kitchen is on fire.Or: Alex burns his mac and cheese, but its okay because he also meets a hot firefighter.Written for Day 1 of Malex Week 2020: Meet Ugly
Relationships: Michael Guerin/Alex Manes
Series: Malex Week 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1828651
Comments: 7
Kudos: 78





	We Didn't Start the Fire (...Okay, Maybe Just a Small One)

**Author's Note:**

> I saw this prompt for a meet ugly somewhere on tumblr (don't remember where) where one character is a firefighter who gets called on Christmas to put out the fire another character caused by burning mac and cheese and the first character is mad because they were supposed to be spending time with their family (or something like that), so this is what my brain decided to write.

Alex would like to start by saying that it was completely an accident and it wouldn’t have happened if his dog hadn’t run into him after getting a little over excited. All he was going to do was switch out the prosthetic for his crutches and the next thing he knows, his kitchen is on fire.

What’s even worse is that, now he looks like a complete fool in front of the firefighters who came after the fire alarm went off because he _burned his macaroni and cheese_. Because that was pretty much his entire meal plan for Christmas, some homemade mac and cheese with some of the chicken that he had grilled earlier in the week.

_This is what I get for trying to do something nice for myself,_ Alex thinks as he looks at the last firefighter who sent the rest away to be with their families while he helps clean up Alex’s mess. _All I wanted was to not have a frozen meal for Christmas dinner and instead I almost burned the house down._

Alex could see that the firefighter was trying to hide his anger at Alex, so Alex thought that at the very least he should apologize.

“I’m sorry for making you come today, I probably could have put it out myself, but I didn’t even realize that the fire alarm was going off until after the fire department had been called,” Alex put on the most sincere ‘I’m sorry’ face that he could, but he could tell that the fireman had to force himself to look neutral.

“It’s fine,” the fireman said as he finally looked at Alex and he paused for a minute. “Dinner hadn’t even started anyway,” the fireman gave a strained smile, “and hopefully by the time I get back dinner will still be warm...and not burnt,” he said as he looked over at Alex’s macaroni disaster that was now sitting on the stove, covered in fire extinguisher foam. “I’m Michael, by the way,” he said as he held out his hand for Alex to shake.

It took a second for Alex to respond because of how guilty he was feeling for obviously taking this man, _Michael_ his brain helpfully supplied, away from a good home cooked meal.

“This is usually the point where you shake my hand and introduce yourself,” Michael explains, as if he is talking to a child.

That spurs Alex into action and he takes Michael’s hand and says, “Right...I’m Alex,” and tries as hard as he can not to blush for being called out like that.

Michael smiles when he sees Alex blush, but then he reminds himself to get back to the task at hand. “Well, Alex, everything seems to be okay here, so I am going to head out,” he says and sees Alex face fall at that and look back over to his very burnt macaroni.

“Actually, you know what?” Michael says to get Alex’s attention back on him. “My brother always makes way too much food anyway and my sister would be thrilled if I bring a date along,” he puts the most seductive smirk he can muster on so that Alex will know that he actually means it.

“Date?” Alex asks incredulously before he puts on his own smirk. “What makes you think I would even be interested?”

“The burnt macaroni is a good indicator,” Michael stares pointedly at the macaroni again. “And I could never forget about my own dashing good looks,” Michael waved his hand at his own face.

Alex couldn’t hold his laugh back and felt the need to add on, “Don’t forget your humble personality.”

Michael rolled his eyes and explained, “Everyone is entitled to a flaw or two, I just happen to know where I best excel.”

When Michael saw that Alex was still hesitating, he decided to be straight with him. “Look, what I am offering right now is a good meal with, who I consider, a great group of people, and if it goes further than that, I would not at all be opposed,” he said so sincerely that it wasn’t even a question in Alex’s mind.

“I guess I could use a good meal,” Alex relented, giving Michael a genuine smile. “And if it went any further...maybe I wouldn’t be opposed to that either.”

And when Alex would look back on that night years later, he would remember it as the best night of his life because, even though he started it alone with burnt macaroni and cheese, he ended it feeling like he was a part of a family for the first time in his life.


End file.
